Negotiating a salary can make a real difference in earnings, and men are more likely than women to negotiate their salaries. According to AAUW’s research, women face the pay gap as soon as they graduate college, and the gap only increases as women age. AAUW’s salary negotiation programs, which have already reached thousands of college students and working women nationwide, are designed to empower women with the skills and confidence they need to successfully negotiate salary and benefits packages. Our curriculum teaches women how to be objective, persuasive, and strategic in their negotiations.

The gender pay gap is real, it hurts women and families, and it won’t go away on its own. In 2014, women working full time in Washington, D.C., were typically paid just 90 percent of what men were paid. While this makes for the smallest gender pay gap among the 50 states, a 10 percent gap is still far from gender parity.

AAUW has been on the front lines of the fight for equal pay for decades. We know the pay gap is a multifaceted problem in need of multifaceted solutions — and while salary negotiation alone won’t get us there, it’s a step in the right direction. We’re working hard on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country to pass legislation that will close the gender pay gap. We’re also urging CEOs to proactively address the gap in their own companies and encouraging bosses to address their biases. As we continue to fight for the structural changes that women need, programs like AAUW Work Smart in D.C. and AAUW Work Smart in Boston provide tools for women to begin improving their lives today.

Through AAUW Work Smart in D.C., our capital will become a nationwide model. More important, the women who attend AAUW Work Smart in D.C. will start to see the benefits in their paychecks. They will feel better knowing that their families are getting their fair share and that their daughters are growing up in a city that cares about them. Closing the gender pay gap isn’t just doing good; it’s good for business. When people believe they are paid fairly, they tend to be more productive workers.Fair pay policies also help attract and retain the best workers.

By working with Bowser, the Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives, and YWTF, we will help close the pay gap in Washington, D.C. — and with your help we will close the gender pay gap across the United States.